2008-03-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Knit 2 Together Bind Off

Using K2tog bind off makes a nice, even, stretchy bound-off edge. Knit the first two stitches together, then slipping the resulting stitch back to the left hand needle Knit that and the next stitch together, continuing along the row. You can bind-off on the purl side in the same way, purling two together, etc.

Needles

Keep a folded square of waxed paper in your knitting bag. Before starting a project, buff your wood or bamboo needles to keep your stitches sliding smoothly.

Ripping Out Rows

When ripping (frog or frogging) more that one row of knitting, take a smaller sized knitting needle and weave it in and out of each stitch of the row below the row with the mistake. From right to left, pass needle under the right side and over the left side of each stitch. Rip out rows to the needle and then replace this smaller needle with one of the correct size.

Joining In The Round

When knitting in the round, cast on one extra stitch. Then begin join by moving the last stitch from the right hand needle to the left hand needle. Knit or purl (matching pattern) the first two stitches together . Proceed according to pattern instruction.

No Lonely Sock

I am not a big fan of knitting two socks on the same circulars. I seem to spend a lot of time untangling the yarn. Instead I knit each sock on it's own needles and just play catch up by taking turns knitting on each sock. This way if I should alter the pattern, the changes are still fresh in my mind and there is no lonley sock waiting for me to get around to making the other.

Washing Natural Fibers

I like to wash natural fibers (wools, silk, etc.) with shampoo and then add a little bit of hair conditional to the final rinse. This keeps the yarn smooth, soft and it also smells nice.

Winding Slinky Yarns

When winding slinky yarns with a ball winder, I first place an empty toilet paper tube over the plastic cone. I then wind the yarn and store it with the cardboard tube. I either pre-cut a slash on the end the tube to secure the loose end of yarn or just tape to tack it down. When I am ready to knit with the yarn, I just pull the cardboard tube out and begin.

Inexpensive Stitch Markers

2008-03-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

I was spinning around on one of the web rings and came across an idea of making stitch markers from drinking straws. Different sizes can be made for various straw diameters and can be any thickness you choose

Last night I pulled out a few straws and a pair of scissors. After a few minutes of snipping I had enough stitch markers to fill and 1/2 oz jar. The best part is if a maker falls off the needle and I am not able to find it (I do this a lot), no problem. If it gets vacuumed up, no problem. If I run out of them, no problem. Just snip some more!

Colourmart Yarn

2008-03-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

Lace Weight Yarns from Colourmart in the UK

Cobweb weight = 1/2 laceweight
Laceweight = 1 x laceweight
4ply wt = 2 x lacewt
Fingering weight = 3 x lacewt
dk wt = 4 x lace wt
aran = 8 x lace wt
chunky = 12 x lace wt

Knit Musings Notes & Tips

Inexpensive Stitch Markers

Colourmart Yarn